Rail-joint



E. F. LEVAIHE.

RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED Dsc.9,1919.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921,

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f @JW E. F. LEVAIRE.

RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9, 1919..

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EDMON) FLORIMOND LE'TAIRE, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

RAILJOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Application led December 9, 1919. Serial No. 343,648.

(GRANTED UNDER THE rimovisioivs 0F THE Aer 0F MARCH 3, 1921. 41 srAti'. L., 1313.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it lknown that I, EDMOND FLoRIMoND LnvAIRn, citizen of the Republic of France, residing at 4 Rue Jouf'froy, Paris, in the Republic of France, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, for `which I have filed an application in France, Dec. 7, 1918, Patent No. 493,917, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved means for fishing rails and comprises essentially the combination of two fish-plates which are forcibly driven into the space between the under surface of the rail head, the upper surface of therail flange and a backing or supporting surface formed either by the free surface of securing keys or wedges, or an adjacent surface of claws which are provided on metal sole-plates or on the sleepers themselves. Said backing surface may vbe either plane, inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the rail, at right angles to the under face of the rail flange or inclined upwardly toward the head of the rail. The said keys may also be formed integrally with the corresponding fish-plate.

The main advantages of the improved rail joint are asfollows: It is exceedingly strong. Holes in the rails andfish-plates are dispensed with whereby the risks of fracture are reduced. Fishing may be readily effected Vbetween rail lengths or broken parts at any point of the length of the rail whatever kind of joint is used (butt joint, skew joint, orscarf-joint). The use of coachscrews and lish-bolts is avoided. The cost of manufacture and maintenance of the the joint are carried over to a supported l member i. e. the sole-plate or sleeper. The

safety in the traiiic is increased. All pairs of-fisheplates are exactly alike when usinga single type of metal sleeper adapted for use with different track-gages. If the sleepers are of a single type, all the fish-plates are eX- Eactly alike.

In. the annexed drawings Figuresl, 2, 3, 4 and 5 show by -way of example one embodiment of rail joint in ac- .cordance with the invention, the lower half Aof Fig. 1 below the center line X-X1 bering a plan View and theupper halfa horizontal section along the line Y-Y1 of Fig. 3, the keys being omitted in the upper half section and the rail being cut horizontally in its web part. i u

2 is a side view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section along the line .-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the keys.

F ig. 5 is a perspective view of one end of a fish-plate.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation showing another embodiment in which the fish-plate bears upon the key by a flat face at right angles to the rail flange. l

Each sleeper T is provided with two claws T., one at each side of the rail R. The rail is held in place by means of two lateral keys or vwedges C C which are forcibly driven into the space between each claw and the upper face of the rail iiange.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the two adjacent sections of the rail are fished to each other by means of two fish-plates E-E forming strut or prop members for the rail and provided at each end, on the outer face thereof, with a'lateral projection E2. Each lateral projection has its lower outer edge removed so as to form an angular bearing surface which tapers in the longitudinal direction. One end edge of said bearing surface is indicated by the line 3-4 in Fig. 3, the opposite end edge being indicated bv the line 1-2. u

Each fislrplate is driven endwise into position in the same direction as the keys C- C', as shown by the arrows, into the space between the under surface 7-8 of the rail head, the upper face 5--6 of rail flange and the tapering longitudinal free surface of the corresponding key or wedge C or C. By referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that each key. such as CV comprises two longitudinal portions tapering in opposite directions, the surface of the portion engaging with the projection on the fish-plate being shown at 11, 22, 33, 44. This taper is for instance about 25 millimeters per meter.

It will be understood that the portion' 11, 22, 33, 44 of the surface of the key may vary in width and may be at all of its points higher than the underv face of the claw. Said part 11, 22, 33, 44 may have in cross section the form of a right, an acute or an obtuse angle, a fillet being provided at the edge as shown. The fish-plates may be shaped in cross section as shown'in the drawing. The radius in cross section of theV cut.

away part l, 2, 3, A, of the fish-plate mayV be somewhat Smaller than that of the co1- iesponding surface 11, 22, 33, 44 of the key.

When each fish-plate has been forcibly driven and seated in place, i. e. in its working position, it is locked in the longitudinal direction so as to prevent any possible loosening by means of a wire F having a square cross section, which engageszin a longitudinal groove fr of each fish-plate projection E2 and is held at one end by having its extremity bent at right angles and engaged into a hole t provided in the projection E2 near the middle of its length, its other' end being bent against the end face of the key as shown in Fig. 1.

' By means of the above described arrangement and the shape of the fish-plates, the

fish-plates are held upon the rails with a' heavy pressure which opposes any displacement of the fish-plates either in the Vlongitudinal direction orlaterally off the rails. The fish-plates as well as the keys may be solidor hollowed.V They may be madeof cast-pressed steel or rolled steel oi' of any or it may be a planeV face at right angles to the base of the rail flange.

rPhe device above described for locking the fish-plate in the longitudinal direction mayV be replaced by any other suitable device and it may be also entirely dispensed with.V As a matter of course, the wire may be replaced a flat metal band or by a bar having any other sutable profile.

It will be understood that the bearing surface l, 2, 3, et of the fish-plate projection may be either plane, inclined to the longitudinal direction of the rail, and at right angles'to thev rail flange or inclined toward the headvof the rail and situated at the vmiddle of the A.height of the fish-plate.

Fig. G'shows a modification comprising a fish-plate E3 provided with a bearing surface l, 2, 3a, la formed on a projection E4 on the fish-plate. Said projection has the shape of al triangular prism at right angles to .the flange of the rail, the bearing surface being aplane surface inclined upwardlyin thelongitudinal direction of the rail. C3 is the corresponding' key. Said bearing sui'- vface la., QZSAa-instead of being formed on A ay projecting part of the fish-plate, may ob- 6.0V Y. 'the side face of said Vfish-plate.

viously be formed by the wall of a recessin Havingfnow described my invention, what flf claim as` new and desire to secure by Let- V*ters Patentes: i `vl 1. A rairljoint comprising the combination of supporting members adaptedto support the rail sections, respectively, two lateralv opposite claws-integral with each supporting member eachy claw comprising a substantially horizontal projecting or beak portion and a body portion, four tapering keys adapted to be forciby driven all in the same direction each in contact with one claw on the supporti-ng members, respectively, and

Vtwo fish-plates provided with wedge surport the rail sections, respectively, two lateral opposite claws integral with each supporting member each claw comprising a substantially horizontal projectingfor beak portion and a body portion, four tapering keys adapted to be forcibly driven all in the same direction each in contact with one claw on the st ,ipportingV members, respectively, and two fish-plates provided with Wedge surfaces and, adaptedgto be forcibly drivenY all in the same directionfas the keys, the fish n plates bearing under the head and upon theV n other' material having a sufficient strength.V The face 6-7 may be more or less concaveY rail-joint comprisingrthe combina-V porting member,ieach claw comprising avv substantiallyhorizontal .projecting or beak portion and a body portion, four tapering keys adapted to be forcibly driven all in the same direction each in contact. withl one claw on the supporting. members, respectively, and two fish plates provided with projecting wedge sui-.faces and adapted to be forcibly driven all in the samedirection as the keys, the fish plates bearing, under the head and Vupon theflange of the rail on the one hand and Vthe keysonthe Vother hand,'respectively.

4. A rail joint comprising-.the combination'of supporting members adapted to support the rail sections, respectively, two lateral opposite claws` integral Vwith eachsupporting memberfeach claw comprising a substantially horizontal projecting or beak portion and a body portion, four tapering keys adapted to be forcibly driven all in the saine iis directioneach .in contact'with one claw on `the vsupporting Vmembers,respectively, andV two fish plates provided with'p'rojectingY wedge surfaces and adaptedV to be forcibly driven all'fin thesame direction as the keys,

the fish plates bearing'junder the head and Y iupon thelfiange of the rail onY the one hand! and the keys on they other hand, respectively,

and lockingmembers for the fish plates, in-

serted in grooves formed in the fish plates, one end of said locking members extending into a recess in the ish plate and the opposite end being bent around the end face of another member of the joint, respectively.

5. A rail joint comprising the combination of supporting members adapted to sup port the rail sections, respectively, two lateral opposite claws integral with each supporting member each claw comprising a substantially horizontal projecting or beak portion and a body portion, four tapering keys adapted to be forcibly driven all in the same direction each in contact with one claw on the supporting members, respectively, and two ish plates provided with projecting surfaces comprising a lateral recess or rabbet having a vertical wall and a horizontal wall connected to the vertical wall by a small fillet, said vertical and horizontal walls forming wedge surfaces, the fish plates being adapted to be forcibly driven all in the same direction as the keys, the fish plates bearing under the head and upon the fiange of the rail on the one hand and the said wedge surfaces engaging at the same time with the keys on the other hand.

6. A rail joint comprising the combination of supporting members adapted to support the rail sections, respectively, two lateral opposite claws integral with each supporting member and comprising a substantially liorizontal projecting or beak portion and a body.portion, two pairs of tapering keys on either side of the rail sections respectively, the two keys in each pair being forcibly driven in the same direction in contact each with one claw, respectively, and two fish-plates one on each side of the rail sections, respectively, said fish-plates being provided with wed e surfaces and bearing under the head an upon the flange of the rail sections on the one hand and against the other members of the joint on the other hand, each of them being forcibly driven in the same direction as the two corresponding ke s.

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EDMOND FLORIMOND LEVAIRE. 

